Cigarette-case.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH PATRICK MCADAM, 0F FORT MYER, VIRGINIAASSIGNOR TOy MARTINMCDONALD, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CIGARETTE-CASE.

To all 'whom t may concer-n Be it known that I, JOSEPH PATRICK MC- ADAM,a citizen of the United States, residingat Fort Myer, in the county ofAlexandria and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Cigarette-Cases, of which the following is aspecification. A

This invention relates to cigarettey cases. Theobject' of the inventionis to provlde a neatand practical form of cigarette case in which meansis provided to effect the partial projection of any. one-ofthe containedends of the cigarettes whenthe cover of the case has been removedandidiscarded, such protecting means being adapted also to constitute anadvertising medium. j

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the natureof the inve-ntion is better understood, the' same consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts` of a cigarette case, as will behereina-fter fully describedeand claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification, and 1nwhich like characters of-reference indicate corresponding parts Figure lis a view in vertical longitudinal section through a cigarette caseembodying the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionalview thereof. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the cigarette case, with thecover or closure removed.

Fig. 4 is a detail view, partly in section, of a part of the device.Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of a combined sticker and tab usedin connection with the device. v Fi 6 is a detail view, in perspective,of a olgarette protector that may be employed in conjunction with thecase.

Referring t0 the drawing, 1 designates the case or carton, which ma beconstructed of any suitable material, an with a bottom forming a part ofthe case, orwith a sup`A plemental bottom 2 in the form of a cap, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

lPatented Feb. s, 1914.

Application ledllune 4, 1913. Serial No. 771,696.

`object of which is to reinforce the walls of the lower portion ofthecase for a purpose that will presently appear. The casemay be made o`any desired size, to hold a legalf ized number of cigarettes, such asten or twenty, a case adapted for containing the former number ofcigarettes being shown herein.

Arranged transversely and centrally of the .case is a partition 3, whichextends, preferably, from the bottom to a point near the upper end ofthe case, and serves to divide the latter into two separate chambersholders 4, which are shown as cylindrical preferably commensurate' -inlength with the partition. The upper end of the case is normally'sealedby a closure orv cover 5, which is herein shown as inset, and isdesignedhto be held in place by the ordinary revenue is removed it is tobe dlscarded. l

Arranged within the lower portion of each ofthe holders is a disk 6, ofcardboard orany other suitable material, and which constitutes aprojector, the under side of which is borne upon by one end of a coiledspring 7, the other end of which bears against the bottom 2. In order toretain the spring in compressed condition, asuitable locking mechanismisemployedwhich, by coaction with the upper face of the prois desired torelease the projector for the purpose of obtainin one ofthe cigarettesfrom the case. Thls holding or locking means comprises a pin 8 having aflat head 9 which is secured between the two plies of asticker l10,which is constructed fromV a piece of paper or the like, folded uponitself, .and provided-in one member with a hole 11 through which theshank of the pin 8 projects, the two plies being designed to `be unitedby a suitable adhesive, and one 'of them to be secured to 4the exteriorof the case, and preferably to the side -wall 12 of the false bottom 2,each member of the sticker being provided with a, tab 13, which willnormally be deflected slightly away from the case, as shown in Fig. 2,in order to permit of the tabs being .grasped to detach the sticker fromthe case, and thus rein each of which is arranged five cigarette" tubes,made of any suitable material, andi stamp, the design bein that when thecover' jector,y serves to retain the ,latter in place agalnst thepressure of the spring until it' the cover is detached, therebycanceling the 'move the pin from its position to release 12 of the falsebottom is provided, so thatl the shank of the in adjacent the head willproject through t ree thicknesses of the ma-4 terial, while its innerend will project through one and a half, and this arrangement will befound thoroughlyl eifective for the purpose designed.

As above stated, it is proposed, in using the case, to discard the topor cover 5, and in orderv to protect the exposed ends of the cigarettesfrom damage,` a shield may be employed to be secured over the upper endof each of the cigarettes, and which consists of a. circular bodyportion14 provided with two oppositely dis osed togues 15 that aredesigned to be olded down around the sides of the end portion of thecigarette C, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. r

.In preparing the case for use, the springs are first placed within theholders, and these springs are to be made of suiiicient project- Y ingforce onlyto lift the cigarette a suiiicient distance to\ permit of itsbeing readily grasped and not to eject the cigarette from the case. Thepins 8 are now positioned as shown in Fig. 2, and the stickerspositioned in the manner described. The cigarettes are now.place'dwit-hin the holders, the cover placed in position, and thelrevenue stamp applidf. J I

When the cigarettes are to be removed,

revenue stamp, and thus preventing a reuse of the' case. An desiredcigarette may be removed merely y grasping the tab 13 and in `detachingthe sticker from the case along with the pin touwhich it is secured,thus releasing the projector with which such pin coacted, andimmediately the spring will exert its force and project the cigaretteupward a predetermined distance,

'j when it may readily be removed.

While the case and holders are herein described as being made ofpasteboard or the like, so that usually they will be discarded whenempty,` it will be obvious that the structure as a whole may be made ofmetal, and thus be adapted for re-use an indefinite number of times,in'which event the pressure of vthe springs against the projectors willbe relied upon for retaining the locking pins in place.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. A cigarette caseembodyin a springpressed projector, and means directly engaging theprojector and accessible from' the exterior of the case to retaintheprojector retracted Within the case and tov eilectv its release whendesired.

2.- A cigarette case having a plurality of holders open at their upperends, a springpressed projector in the lower portion 'of each holder,means to normally hold each projector retracted and means forselectively disengaging the liolding means and thereby selectivelyreleasing the projectors to pro-` ject any cigarette through the upperopen end of its holder.

3. A cigarette case embodying a plurality of separate holders, aspringfpressed projector in the bottom portion of each holder,

and a combined locking and releasing member coacting directly with eachprojector.

4. A cigarette case embodying a plurality of separate holders, aspring-pressed projector in the bottom portion of each holder, acombined locking and releasing member coacting directly with eachprojector, and means for preventing the accidental release of themembers.

5. A cigarette caseembodying a plurality of separate holders, aspring-pressed pro.- jector in each holder, a locking member coactingdirectly, with each projector, and

means arranged exteriorly of the case and secured thereto and to eachofthe locking members normally to -retain the latter in place and topermit of their detachment from the case.

6. A cigarette case having a central partition, holders arranged on eachside of the partition, a spring-pressed projector disposed in the bottomportion of each holder, and a pin extending through the wall of the caseand into the partition above eac'hprojector and servingto hold thelatter in retracted position.

7. A cigarette case having a central partition, holders arranged on eachside of the partition, a spring-pressed projector disposed in the bottomportion of each holder. a headed pin extending through the wall of thecase and into the partition above each projector and serving to hold thelatter in retracted position, and a sticker secured to the head of eachpin and to the case.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH PATRICK MCAD. Witnesses: i

HERBERT S. SHEPARD,

R. M. ELLIOTT.

